A Veterans Day Salute to Military Moms

The Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery is a unique, living memorial honoring all military women—past, present and future—and is the only major national memorial honoring women who have served in our nation’s defense during all eras and in all services.

Did you know women have served in the United States Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War?

Case in point: In 1782, Deborah Sampson served for two years in General Washington’s army disguised as a man. After being wounded, her gender was discovered and she was honorably discharged. (Sampson later became the mother of three, and received a military pension from the Continental Congress.) Other veteran mamas of historical note include Josephine Baker, Harriet Tubman, and Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee.

Today, more than 2 million women across the United States represent 9.2% of all veterans, and are one of the fastest growing segments of the overall veteran population (according to this 2015 report by the Women Veterans Initiative). Currently, women account for 15.3% of active-duty personnel in the U.S. military.

If you’re a mom who’s serving or has served in the U.S. military, this post is for you.

It’s Veterans Day, and I want you to know how truly grateful I am for your service.

You deserve a paid day off work today.

You deserve any and all freebies for veterans available on this day. Enjoy your free meal at Applebee’s. Get a free haircut at Great Clips. Take advantage of the free oil change at Meineke. Swing by your nearest National Park for a free visit. Go nuts!

Sometimes, you hit a point in your military career where you have to choose between being a soldier and a mother, and a photo like this helps mothers so they don’t have to choose.

But you also deserve an apology.

I’m sorry our country hasn’t always treated you with the benefits and care you deserve. Unless the U.S. Congress acts soon, key provisions of the EITC and Child Tax Credit will expire, pushing nearly 16 million people—including 8 million children and many military families—into poverty and making it harder for tens of millions more families to pay their bills. (You can voice your support for the EITC and Child Tax Credit via this MomsRising campaign.)